Quantum Leap Deer John
by spookysister7
Summary: What's worse than life as a chimp? WIP


Title - Deer John

Author - Spookysister7

Email address - - http/ - PG

Category - Quantum Leap

Spoilers - Space Chimp

Keywords - Leap

Summary - What's worse than life as a chimp?

Feedback - Please, oh please, oh please! I'm young, I'm stupid, I need help! Thanx! Post anywhere! Just keep my name and let me know.

Disclaimer -

Al and Ziggy are not mine

They aren't making me a dime

Sam does not belong to me

But if he did, I'd be filled with glee

Just remember, morning glory

They're not mine, now read the story

Quantum Leap: Deer John

The first thing Sam noted was he was running, the second that he was naked. Part of his brain told him to stop and assess the situation, but an overwhelming fear kept him racing though the forest. His breath came in pants as he ran, all the while keeping a lookout for danger. Twisting through the trees, Sam suddenly heard a loud snap and crashed into the dirt. His right hip and thigh felt as if they were on fire. He forced himself up and ran as fast as he could, favoring his right leg. A white door opened in the woods in front of him and he stopped in relief.

"Al! Thank God! Where am I? Who am I?" Sam asked as he gasped for breath and tried to get a good look at his leg. Before he could see more than a glimpse of blood, Al screamed a warning.

"Sam, run!" Without thinking, Sam ran. Al floated with him, not bothering to avoid the trees and logs that Sam twisted around.

"Al, what's going on? What's the matter with my leg?"

"You've been shot, Sam. It looks like Buckshot. Jeeze! I don't know how you're running! Your leg looks like hamburger."

"That's not what I need to hear, Al! Who's shooting at me? Why am I naked?"

"You won't like the answer, Sam."

"I don't even like the question, Al! Just tell me what the heck is going on!" Al looked up from his hand link and screamed, jumping in front of his friend.

"Sam! Look out!" The arrow flew cleanly though Al's holographic body and embedded itself in Sam's side. Sam fell.

"Sam! Oh, God, Sam! Stay awake! You'll be okay, just stay awake!"

"Al?" Sam said weakly, barely moving his head.

"Sam, you'll be okay. Just stay with me."

"Al, it hurts." Sam whispered as he faded into blackness.

"Sam! No! Sam! Wake up! They're coming, Sam! You have to get up! Sam!" He didn't respond and Al could only watch helplessly as two men walked towards Sam's unconscious body. The largest man had a bow thrown over his shoulder and a hunting knife in his hand.

"Should we do him here, Bo?" The big guy asked as he fingered the knife.

"You come near him with that knife and I'll kill you!" Al snarled ineffectively. He knew he could do nothing to stop them.

"Naw, Huck. Let's take him home and do him. We don't want to get caught out here with him." Al breathed a small sigh of relief. Huck nodded thoughtfully and put away the knife. He reached down and grabbed Sam by his ankles.

"Humph. This is a big one, Bo. Will ya help me?" Bo picked up his wrists and the two men set off, with Sam's body hanging between them. Al could only follow. The two men carried Sam to their car and popped open the trunk. Huck was about to fling him in, but Bo hesitated.

"I don't think Ma would like it if we got blood in her car. I think there's a sheet and rag in the back. Go get it."

"This sure is a lot of work. I don't know why we couldn't just wait 'till the truck got fixed."

"Oh, stop yer gripin'. Lay the sheet down and wrap the rag around his leg, it's bleedin' the worst. Hurry it up." Huck threw the sheet into the trunk and wrapped Sam up like he was diapering a baby.

"What are ya, afraid he's not potty trained?"

"Shut up, Bo. It's the only way I know to get it to stay on with only one pin!"

"Alright, alright. Get in and let's get going." Bo said, rolling his eyes.

Al was as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. Sam lay on a disconcertingly stained table in the middle of a PETA member's nightmare. Dozens of pairs of antlers lined the walls, where pelts stretched and dried on racks. Al couldn't look in a direction without visualizing Sam's body adorning the walls. Sam moaned and stirred.

"Oh, thank God, Sam. Come on! Wake up! You can do it. Come on. That's good."

"Where am I?" Sam whimpered.

"Hell." Al muttered under his breath.

"Come on, Sam. You've got to move!"

"I'm inside. Did somebody find me?"

"Yah! The guys that shot you! You've got to get out of here!"

"Why didn't they kill me when they had the chance?" Before Al had a chance to respond, Bo came in with a saw.

"Al? Al, help me! I can't move! Al!" Sam whispered frantically.

"It's okay, Sam. He's just putting it away. Don't move. I don't want him to know you're awake." Sam stopped struggling and watched as Bo hung up the saw with the other tools and left.

"How did you know he wasn't going to use the saw?"

"It wasn't the right tool."

"Right tool for what, Al? What are they going to do to me?"

"I don't want to tell you, Sam. Just trust me on this one. You've got to get out of here!"

"Al. Tell me."

"They're... they're going to skin you."

"Skin me! Skin me, Al? First they shoot me, and now they're going to skin me? So, what, I'm here to make sure they get caught?"

"No, Sam. There is nothing on their record."

"Nothing on their record! What do you mean? You mean they never get caught?"

"I never said they didn't get caught. I just said there's nothing on their record."

"How can they get caught skinning a person and not have it on their record!"

"Well, technically it is illegal, but the sheriff is a little lenient with things like this. They paid a fine."

"Paid a fine!" Sam cried, struggling to his feet.

"Technically illegal? Al, where are we if skinning someone is only 'technically illegal'?"

"Well, Sam, technically you aren't a someone."

"What? Oh, don't tell me I'm a chimp again!"

"Worse."

"What can be worse than a chimp?"

"Deer." Sam paled further and, looking around the room, leaned against the table for support.

"Deer?"

"You know. Bambi, The Yearling, big doe eyes, the whole bit."

"So, I'm going to end up someone's breakfast bacon?"

"Venison. Deer meat is venison."

"I know what it's called, Al! I want to know why I'm here!"

"Well, Ziggy says there's a... 78.2 probability you're here to make sure this buck doesn't die."

"I got shot, impaled, and now I'm about to get skinned and I'm here to save a DEER!"

"Whatever you're here to do, you better do fast! Here they come."

A sudden burst of adrenaline flew through Sam's injured insides and propelled him into action. Sam shot from the room, startling an unprepared Huck, and scrambled past the dilapidated fence, making a beeline for the safety of the woods. He could hear shouting behind him and tensed at the sound of a shot. Thankfully, it missed. Reaching the trees, he leapt over every obstacle, stumbling as he landed. The pain in his side drove him on, the occasional branch catching the edge of the ever-present arrow and sending waves of darkness over him. He slowed as he came to a part of the woods that felt safe, breath coming in desperate gasps. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw movement. He sniffed, but smelled nothing. Tense, he turned to look in all directions. A voice from behind him startled him into movement. He ran.

"Sam! Sam, come back! It's just me! Sam!" Al shouted at the fleeing figure.

"Ziggy, center me on Sam and keep me centered!" Al shouted as he blinked into place beside Sam. Sam saw him and startled, jerking away to run in the opposite direction. Al kept up with him easily and Sam's flight grew frantic trying to escape him.

"Sam! It's just me. Slow down. You lost them. Sam?" Al asked as the deer's eyes took on a crazed sheen and he turned. Flailing his antlers, he pawed the ground, ready to attack.

"Sam, it's me, Al! Don't you know me?" The deer charged and flew though Al's insubstantial body.

"Can't do that, Sam. I'm just a hologram, remember?" The deer prepared to charge again and leapt. Without impacting Al, the deer landed badly and ended up on the forest floor. Blood leaked through the rag and Al could see the deer's eyes were wild and white rimmed. His flailing limbs and gasping breath kept him from rising, and Al could come close without having to chase after him. Gently and calmly, Al talked to the deer, hunching down to seem less threatening.

"It's okay. Calm down. You'll be okay. There we go. Good boy." Al kept up an incessant stream of comforting words until the fear settled to a manageable level.

"Ugh. Al, what happened? I feel like I've been hit by a bus."

"Jeeze, Sam. I thought for a little while you weren't coming back. It's good to hear your voice."

"Not coming back? Where did I go?"

"I don't know, but you didn't recognize me. I'm glad I'm a hologram, or I'd've been gored."

"Sorry, Al."

"Yah, I know. Just try to keep that fear under control, huh?"

"Yah." Sam grunted as he rose to his feet. He wobbled and almost collapsed back into the dirt.

"Al, I'm going to need help soon. I don't think I'm going to make it otherwise."

"Where can you go?"

"Is there a vet close?"

"Yah, but I don't think you want to see him."

"Why not?"

"He's also the taxidermist."

"O... Kay. What are my other options?"

"Well, you can't go to the police; they'll just shoot you and put you out of your misery. The ASPCA is in the next county, and besides, they'd probably put you to sleep."

"Al, do I have any options?"

"Well, the only thing I see is a woman about 3 miles from here. She runs a little wildlife rehabilitation center from her house. She might take you, but I see that she hasn't ever had any animal there bigger than a raccoon. I don't know how much help she'll be, Sam."

"She's better than nothing. Let's go."

"Hey, I do have some good news."

"What?"

"It's not deer season."

"Great. I'll only have to worry about everyone that doesn't care." Sam muttered sarcastically as he started off towards the center.

Two miles into the trek, Sam started to feel lightheaded. Al's continuous stream of idiocy wasn't helping things, either.

"Al."

"And then she popped out of the cake wearing..."

"Al!"

"Huh?"

"I don't think I'm going to make it." Sam said, weaving on his feet.

"No, Sam! Come on, you can do it! Keep going!"

"Al... Help me." Sam said, falling to the ground.

"Sam! Get up, Sam!"

"Help, Al..." Sam moaned.

"I can't! Oh, I wish I could help you up! Please, Sam, try."

"Can't..." Sam whispered, passing out.

"Oh! Sam, don't do this to me! Sam! Now what do I do?" Al asked, pacing in front of his friend's body, helplessly.

"Help him! Do something!" Al cried, screaming up at the sky. It didn't help. If anything, things got worse. It started to rain.

"This is not helping." Al muttered as he plugged different scenarios into the hand link. His head shot up when he heard a growl. Three large, mangy stray dogs circled them.

"Nice puppies, good dogs..." Al said, backing towards his friend. The dogs snarled and leapt. Flying through Al's body, they landed badly, rolling in the mud. If anything, it intensified their hunger and malevolence. They sniffed Al, dismissing him within seconds. The scent of blood drew them towards Sam's body. They licked their chops.

"Get away from him, you mangy mutts, or I'll kick you from here to Kentucky!" Al shouted, leaping towards them and making them back up a few steps. They sniffed at him again and looked confused. Unfortunately, the confusion didn't last long. The ringleader attacked, biting only air. Al kicked out, swinging through the dog's ribs without damage. He swore he saw the dogs laugh. They circled Sam, ignoring him completely no matter what he did.

"You can't let him die like this!" Al screamed, trying desperately to scare the dogs away. Preparing to pounce, the dogs circled one last time. A bolt of lightning shattered a nearby tree, sending fiery fragments towards the dogs. The leader's tail caught fire and he ran yelping into the woods. Leaderless, but still hungry, the other two paused. Al typed frantically on his hand link. Suddenly, a ring of fire appeared around Sam's body and started coming in the dog's direction. Startled, the dogs ran after their leader, wanting nothing to do with that opponent.

"Take that!" Al shouted after them.

"Humph! Man's best friend, right." He mumbled as he bent over Sam's body.

"Sam. Come on, Sam. Please wake up." Al pleaded. A twitch of movement.

"Sam?"

"Al? I'm cold."

"I know, Sam. Can you get up? You're almost there!"

"Kay." Sam said, forcing himself to his feet.

Finally reaching the house, a little cabin just outside the woods, Al breathed a sigh of relief.

"We made it, Sam."

"Great. How do I get in?"

"Well, I guess... You can't knock, can you?"

"Al..."

"Yah, you're right... Okay. Hang on a minute. I'll be right back." Walking through the side of the house, Al ran in to a room full of cages. It gave him an idea.

"Sam! Sam, come to the back door! I'll find a way to get her up!" Al shouted, startling the animals awake. The baby birds screamed while the raccoons chattered and the opossums hissed. The din became so loud that even Al covered his ears. A young woman came blearily into the room.

"What is going on here?" She cried. Al looked her over admiringly before remembering what he was supposed to do.

"Sam! Sam, scratch your antlers against the door!" Obediently, a scraping sound overrode the racket. The woman noticed it immediately. Confused, she walked over to the door and opened it. A very bedraggled and bloody deer stood on her doorstep.

"Oh my goodness!" She cried, covering her mouth with her hands. Sam used his big brown eyes to the best of his abilities. The woman approached him carefully, talking calmly to him.

"It's okay, boy. I'm not going to hurt you. Come on, that's right." She said, leading him into her tiny living room. Sam stumbled through the house. At the sight of the very comfortable looking couch, he did a very un-deer-like thing. He laid down. The woman's jaw dropped, but she reacted quickly. Pulling a syringe from her kit, she gave Sam a shot.

"Good boy. Hold still, this won't hurt a bit." She said as she injected him. Sam's eyes closed as the drug took effect. Al looked on appreciatively, enjoying both the woman's filmy night gown and the rapidly increasing chances for Sam's survival.

"Beauty and brains." Al mumbled to Sam's body.

"You get it all, don't yah? Too bad you can't enjoy it." Al said as the white door opened and he went home to get some rest of his own.


End file.
